PTN

what do you mean by no "TRAMMING"?

pttl

Moregrip


How is the ride on those Falkens? I had 512s on my last car, they were quiet, and superb in the rain, but they cornered a little soft. BTW - They look excellent!

moregrip

The ride is improved from the stock Bridgestone 235's as is grip in all situations.

trfortin

I purchased Goodyear Eagle F1's.

Inaccurate

From TireRack.com -

The term "tramlining" is being used to describe when directional control is disrupted by the vehicle's tendency to follow the longitudinal ruts and/or grooves in the road. It's name could be compared to the tram or trolley driver who does not steer because his vehicle follows the path established by the tracks.

Any vehicle can exhibit tramlining on certain areas of the highway because of uneven pavement or severe rutting. And all vehicles tramline to some degree rather than obediently following the driver's steering input. For example, there's usually at least a small change in steering resistance felt through the wheel when crossing an uneven expansion joint or asphalt junction during lane changes.

Tires have the most direct influence on tramlining because they are the part of the vehicle that comes into contact with the road (and the longitudinal ruts and/or grooves that exist there). Unfortunately anything that increases a high performance tire's responsiveness also increases its willingness to tramline.

sammyman

It looks like there is a special of Goodyear Eagle F1's on tirerack. After a $100 cash card, total price per tire is $168. That sounds like a good price. Anyone else do better?

trfortin

Hey guys, my tire havne't come in yet and I saw this posted on Tire rack, let me know if you think this is better set up than 255/40/17's all the way around.

Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

I put on the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3, 255/40 -17. I went a little wide with the 255s, but they handle really nice, are quiet and look mean. If I had to do over I would get 245 or 235s in front and keep the 255s in back. In addition, they are excellent in my Los Angeles climate - rain and shine but no snow or ice. With regard to wear, I am surprised how well they are doing. The unusual tread pattern still seems as deep as when purchased. After a year on freeways, streets and twisty canyon roads, I would recommend these tires.

Heat03

dam, that rear shot of your tl ..... looks pretty mean... i like it.

Inaccurate

trfortin,

Now you have me being overly cautious.

I would not recommend running the different sizes front-to-rear. By having different widths, your front tires would be a different diameter than your rear tires. I would be afraid that this might cause the VSA and/or ABS to activate under normal driving conditioned. By design, the VSA and ABS are activated when some wheels are turning at a different RPM than the other wheels. So, the different tire widths (having different diameters) will cause the front tires to turn at a different rate than the rear tires - this is what triggers the VSA/ABS.

In all honesty, I somewhat doubt the VSA/ABS would activate. But, I myself would not be willing to be the guinea pig to test this.

DISCLAIMER - my comments above are strictly based on conjecture/speculation.

Inaccurate

furthermore -

I would hope that the engineers designed the system to not be too sensitive to activate. I mean, think about when the car gets old. Poeple will not care about the old car, and will be cheap and install unmatching tires on the car. I would hope that the engineers took this into consideration. I think that the VSA/ABS systems have enough "slack" (unsensitive) to handle different tires sizes without engaging the systems. But, I myself would not be willing to be the guinea pig to test this. Just call me a "scaredy-cat".

trfortin

Yeah that makes sense, I just caught my eye the other day and made me think about it a little. My tires are in and I'll be getting them installed in the next couple of days, I'll post pictures when I get a chance. Thanks
Tim

Inaccurate

trfortin,

Glad to hear that you got your Eagles !!!
Looking forward to seeing the pics.

trfortin

HI all, I got my tires on they ride a little rough so I'm going back to see if they can re-balance them. Also the tires seem to ride better after warming up??? not sure why, overall the tire looks great....however the set up now that I have definately some of the ride quality is hidered. That's it for now, I'll keep you posted....

Inaccurate

Sorry to hear that. I wonder if the tire is out-of-round. Can you explain how the ride feels, at what speed ?, vibrates ?, etc.

I wonder if the tires have hardened (old age from sitting). I sorta doubt this because Eagles are suppose to be in big demand, and the inventory would probably move quickly. Does the rubber feel and smell fresh ?

My Eagles were slightly softer riding than my OEM Brigestones.

trfortin

Well the ride is odd, it actually vibrates through exceleration up through to 80 miles an hour then it plains out......however after about 10 minutes of driving it all smoothed out and they handled and sounded fine. I asked they guy at NTB if he thought the tire was deffective, and he said probably not other wise it would have never balanced properly in the first place...so I don't think the tire is deffective. Also the rubber seems to be fresh and they seem new to me. I did take the car back to NTB, they said they may have to use a special balancing machine due to width of the tires, I guess the machine simulates actual ride with all four tires on...I'm not a mechanic so I'm not really familiar with this process....but the tire looks great and again after riding on them for 10 minutes or so they are awesome......handling is much better than before. With that said I'm going to work with NTB guys to make sure these tires work, overall very pleased with my purchase, I just hope they can fix the issue of the vibration. Peace....I'll keep you posted pics are coming soon.

Inaccurate

If they are unable to fix it, I recommend trying a different place. Sometimes a "second set of eyes" or a "second opinion" is needed. Perhaps their balancing machine is not that good. I would not offend them by telling that to them directly, just quitely try another tire place. Hopefully, the other folks can spot what is wrong. My instinct keep saying "out of round", but I am no tire expert -- just trying to help.

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like the tires are flat spotting. Do you notice it first thing in the morning or when the weather is colder? If so there is little to nothing that can correct it. As the tire warms up the internal belts of the tire return to being round and the virbrations go away. When you park your car, for some time, the flat spots are formed again where the tire touches the surface and they need to be driven/warmed agin for the vibration to go away. Some tires are worse than others, but most hp tires have varying degress of the dreeded lumpy dounut syndrome. You are probably going to have to get use to it or try a differnt brand of tires.

I'm running Milchin Pilot Sports and flat spotting is very minimal even in cooler weather.

Inaccurate

I don't think the Eagles are prone to "flat spotting". I base this on the reviews on www.tirerack.com and www.discounttire.com of the Eagle F1 GS-D3. Of all the many reviews from both sites, I do not recall any compliants of flat-spotting.

Also, I do not drive my car over the weekends. So, my car sits from Friday evening until Monday morning. When I drive on Monday mornings, I have never noticed any flat-spotting --- just a smooth ride.

AcuraVic

Does the car ride as smooth as with the regular tires? I'm asking because its time for new tires (im presently on the yoko AVS DB S2).

Inaccurate

AcuraVic,

My oem Bridgestones had only 4,000 miles on them when I replaced them with the Eagles. I mention this so that you will know that I am comparing "like new" Turanza EL42's versus new Eagles.

Y E S ! ! ! The car does ride as smooth as with the regular tires.

I was really surprised when I first drove with the Eagles. They were sooo smooth compared to what I was expecting. I was expecting the ride to be slightly more harsh than the EL42's because of the lower-profile of the Eagles. But, I got a big grin when I realizes how smooth the Eagles were.

To give you an idea of "how smooth is smooth ?" .... The Eagles were slightly smoother than the "like new" EL42's. And, *if* someone said that they felt that the Eagles had the same ride quality as the EL42's (just equal, and not more smooth), I would not argue with them. I am biased. So, the Eagles could have just equal ride quality to the "like new" EL42's. But, being "just equal" is great for a tire with *much* more performance and shorter sidewall profile. By the way, I used 35/35 psi in my EL42's when I had them.

So with all that said, here is my honest answer ---> To me, the Eagles ride *smoother* than the "like new" EL42's. So, you get a smoother ride along with a huge increase in handling and traction.

Something that I have no mentioned yet in this thread is how well my car tracks with the Eagles. I found this out by surprise. After having the Eagles for about one week, I realized that I was not using a "death grip" on the steering wheel like I had in the past with the EL42's. With the EL42's, I would grip the wheel tightly ("death grip" ) while driving at 60 mph along-side concrete barriers (road construction zone), where the barriers were just feet from the side of the car . But, now with the Eagles, I drive along the same area with my hands barely holding the steering wheel and having complete feeling of confiedence and safety . I had gone thru this transition in driving style without myself knowing it. I had just realized it one morning as I was driving to work -- "wow, I am no longer gripping the wheel tight anymore... cool !!!". With the EL42's, I drove like this ---> always making small corrections in the car's direction. But with the Eagles, the car drives like it can read my mine. I do *not* need to correct the car's path every few seconds -- it just tracks straight with no left-to-right wondering.

I LOVE MY EAGLE F1's

Inaccurate

trfortin, any update on the vibration situation ???

No disrespect to "hondafans". He does have a very valid point. It does fit the typical description of flat-spotting. Although the Eagle F1's are not known to flat-spot, this does not mean that your set might not do it.

trfortin

Yes, update is that the tire is definately behaving better than the first 24-48 hours after they were put on. I'm still getting some vibration after 80 miles an hour, however I'm taking it to specialty wheel shop to see if they can give me an 2nd opinion. I hope that cures my problem.

Frank S

Inaccurate,

Thanks for all of the info you and others have shared in this thread. I have been following it for about a month and I am considering going to the 255's when I replace my OEM Pilot's. Since I live in the north east, I am considering going with the Avon Tech M550 A/S, Pirelli PZero Nero M&S or the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S because they have the best winter ratings on tirerack. I figure I will give them a try and if they are not adequate for the winter I will put a set of snows on.

I think that all of the cars posted here look great with the wider tires!! I also agree with your point about going with a smaller diameter tire because of better overall performance and additional protection against curb rash. I did the same thing with my toyota 4-runner (put wider tires on the oem rims) and was very happy with the look and handling.

I welcome eveyones opinion on how I might do in winter driving with the tires I mentioned. I wouldn't be surprised if I get as good or better traction than the Pilot's. The Pilot's performed terrible in winter and wet conditions from day 1. I now have about 26k miles on them and they squeal under moderate acceleration. Surprisingly they still have plenty of tread.

Thanks again for all the info.

Inaccurate

Frank,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I see that you don't post replies very often (as indicated by your post count since 2004), so I do value your reposnse even more. Thanks

Inaccurate

trfortin,

Thanks for the update. I am hoping that your Eagles smooth-out for you. Really want you to enjoy them as much as I do mine.

Best wises,
Inaccurate

trfortin

I also thought I would add that my torque steer has been reduced considerably from stand still, it still pulls through acceleration but not as bad and I don't get the usual tire chirps/squeals at red lights and stop signs like I used to. It’s just another reason to upgrade to wider tires.

Inaccurate

G R E A T !!!!!

trfortin, thanks for the feedback. IMHO, the awesome traction is because of the Eagle's rubber compound and not from the wider width. While reading the many reviews on www.tirerack.com and www.discounttire.com of the Eagle F1 GS-D3, most reviews comment on the awesome traction (wet and dry) !!!!

Everyone, trfortin has the Eagle F1's (D3) like mine. I too thought that I noticed much less torque steer. But, I did not mention this because I could not be absolutely sure that it was not just me getting accustomed (getting immune) to the torque steer because I "hammer" (WOT) my car A LOT (usually one or twice per day). But, I do "experience" much less torque steer either because of the Eagles or because my brain has learn to compensate for it.

ari1856

IMO nobody mekas beter tires than michelin. The Pilot Sport 2s are the best all around tire (except maybe snow).

S PAW 1

Have to admit the 255/40's look good, BUT
according to Michelin's tire guide, the minimum rim width for 255/40's
is 8.5 inches, 10.0 inches max. Your stock wheels are 8"!!!
Overall diameter from the 235/45's drops 1/2"(25.6 vs. 25.1).
These are Michelin Pilot's for comparison.
Just my opinion, but you might have a safety issue here
with only 8" width wheels.
Wouldn't want to see someone have the tire separate from the wheel
during hard cornering after making this mod.

Inaccurate

S PAW 1,

This was covered already. Please read thru the previous replies in this thread.

jpellegrino

I have been told that mounting a tire designed for a min 8.5" wide rim on an 8" rim will cause issues with the sidewall and can adversely affect handling. Anyone else been told this? It makes a lot of sense....
Also, I currently have 245/45’s on the rear of my car and need new fronts, I a considering the 255/40’s. Anyone about to move up to 255/40’s that could take their car for a ride half way thru their new tire upgrade….that is with stocks on one end of the car and 255/40 on the other….to see if there is a vss or abs issue?
I have been running the 245’s in the back with 235’s in the front for over a year now with no issues. I really don’t thing the 255/40 up front will cause an issue with my 245/45’s in the back…but a little nervous…more about the tire width /vs/ rim width compatibility.
BTW…I drive my car hard and if I didn’t, I would still be worried about the sidewall in an emergency evasive maneuver….
I just checked a few manufacture’s websites to see recommended rim width for a 255/40. Kumho, GoodYear/Eagle, Pirelli, BFGoodrich, Yokohama, Bridgestone….all of them say the 255/40 is not designed for the 8” rim…SO I am sticking with the 245/45’s all the way around. Doesn’t make any sense at all to have a stability/performance issue for the looks of the 255/40 when they will not perform properly.
245/45 is compatible with an 8” rim.

Inaccurate

Oh, come'on. Show some gusto. TRY THE 245/40-17's !!!!! Live a'little. You still get the 245's that "fits" the rim, but the 40 profile gives you the advantages of the smaller diameter (better gear ratio).

jgatortl

Ahh

We've had the 235 45 F1's for 6 months now and they have been a huge improvement.

I think any of the sizes will work fine with such a superb tire. I can't believe that Goodyear has the best performance summer tire in the F1, and the best SUV tires in the Fortera line.

Now do I get the alignment fix from the TSB on our 04 and risk the dealer trying to replace the F1's with an EL42

Don P

just got these on my TL's stock wheel's last week

LOVE EM!

can't belive how different the ride is w/ the wider tires.

got em fairl prices too..... $540 installed w/ rotation n balance for the life of them..... hopefully they last a bit longer than my stock michelins'........ even though it is more tempting w/ these tires to take that turn just a bit faster everytime

wish I would have gotten the Nitto's a couple months ago before the effin' 2 curbs i hit.... wouldn't have touched the rim w/ these tires.


Does anyone know how/if changing the size afftects my warranty ? ?

Inaccurate

Don P,

Welcome to the "Team 255/40-17" Club !!!!! Glad to see we have another member !!!!


Regarding the warranty. I highly doubt purchasing replacement tires for your car would void the warranty (even if they are non-factory size). People here on the forum hack their exhaust system (removing mid-muffler, which I have done to my six-month old TL), install cold-air intakes (which I am doing this weekend), install aftermarket suspension components, install large diameter rims, etc. If these people can do these modification and stay "within warranty", then you buying replacement tires should be REALLY, REALLY okay in regards to the warranty.

jfitzoz

Please recommend a tire installation business in the Sacramento, California area that will install performance tires like the 255/40YR17 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3?

None of the brick and mortar tires stores I have found will install an oversized tire like the 255/40YR17 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 on my TL's original equipment wheels.

Thanks for helping me!

John

Inaccurate

Wow,

Things like this really irritate me. I suppose businesses are so afraid of getting sued that they are afraid to deviate from the oem recommended size.

For me, I took my loose wheels (“loose” means unmounted from the car) to the tire shop (Discount Tire). I used my hydraulic jack and jack stands to remove two tires at a time (both front tires, then both rear tires), and placed the wheels in my wife’s car to take them to Discount Tire.

However, my goal in doing it this way was that I do not trust anyone with my car. I prefer to do things myself whenever possible. So, in this case, I can’t mount tires on the rim, but I do not need to give them the whole car to screw-up. And, I can properly loosen the lug nuts and properly tighten the lug nuts (apply torque gradually in several steps) instead of having the lug nut tighten to 200 ft. lbs. unevenly to warp the thin rotors. (sorry, rant over)

SHORT ANSWER = take the loose wheels to them. If that doesn’t work, then you will need to have one shop to remove the old tires from the rim. Then, take the loose rim and the new tire to another shop to have them mounted. In this way, it will prevent the second shop from knowing that the oem size was 235 because the second shop never had a chance to see the oem size – thus, they will not complain that you are using a non-oem size.

SpecialFX

I just got my 255/40-17 Toyos put on the car last Friday. So far I have under 100 miles on them. Love the way they look. The car just sits better on them than the El-42s. It looks meaner. Much better rim protection and vastly improved handling make them worthwhile. Too bad my rims had already taken a beating from the old tires.

Many thanks to Innacurate for motivating me to get the wider tires. Otherwise I many have only gone to 245/45s. How many members does Team 255/40-17 have now?

Inaccurate

SpecialFX,

Looks like you are "Team 255/40-17 Member #7" !!!!

Glad to hear that you like them. It's been awhile since we had any new members. Thanks for trusting us that the 255/40's would be a good move (pun intended).

Do you notice a reduction in torque-steer under WOT in first gear ?
Did the tire shop try to give you a hard-time about installing the wide tires on the oem rims ?

For me, I still LOVE mine. It has been 5 months and 5,000 miles since I had my 255/40's installed. STILL LOVE THEM !!!! *No* unusual wear patterns (actually, no wear at all that I can detect).


Here is our update listing:

The "Team 255/40-17" Member List
-------------------------------------------------
Team 255/40-17 Member #1 = danno
Team 255/40-17 Member #2 = Inaccurate
Team 255/40-17 Member #3 = AaronB
Team 255/40-17 Member #4 = moregrip
Team 255/40-17 Member #5 = trfortin
Team 255/40-17 Member #6 = Don P
Team 255/40-17 Member #7 = SpecialFX

ari1856

Nobody is forcing a bigger size on you. As for me, when I need tires I'll go with 255 or 245 40 17s

This car (auto) is so over-geared (geared tall). What a waste!